Free Once a Princess by Johanna Lindsey

“Dammit, Stefan, why couldn’t you leave well enough alone?”
    â€œBecause we are here to discover the truth, no matter how distasteful we may find it.”
    Tanya stiffened, recognizing another insult when she heard it. By the time Stefan stood in front of her again, her green eyes were glittering with ire. But his eyes were softly glowing as well, for he was still reacting to her earlier rebuff. So her anger didn’t bother him. In fact, he was delighted that he’d caused it.
    â€œWe are certain of your identity, mistress. The mark that will prove it should be found on the underside of your seat, on the left cheek. It will no doubt require a mirror for you to examine it, but go and do so now, and do so carefully, so you may return and describe the mark to us.”
    â€œAnd if I won’t?”
    â€œThen you may possibly be offended when we locate the mark ourselves, to end all doubt, you understand.”
    She was quickly learning that he could be as cruel as Vasili in his remarks. Her cheeks flaming, she hissed, “You bastard,” but he merely crooked a brow at her, showing her how little it mattered to him that he’d insulted her—again. “What happens if the mark is there?”
    â€œThen you will return with us to Cardinia.”
    â€œWhere is that?”
    â€œIt’s a small country in Eastern Europe. It’s where you were born, Tatiana Janacek.”
    A name. Her name? God, this was becoming real again, her hopes soaring again. “Is that why you’re here? To take me back?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen I have family there? They sent you to find me?”
    â€œNo.” His tone softened for the moment. “Regrettably, you are the last of your line.”
    Up and down, these hopes. Why did she let herself be lured in by possibilities? All right, no family. But a name, a history—if they were telling the truth, and if she had the mark.
    â€œIf I don’t have any family left, then why did you bother to find me?”
    â€œThese questions are pointless, mistress, until you prove to us all, yourself included, that you possess the mark that names you a Janacek.”
    â€œI don’t care how pointless you find my questions, I’m not moving an inch until I know the real reason you came here.”
    Stefan took a menacing step closer, but she didn’t budge. He growled down at her, “For no other reason than to collect you and return you—”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œFor your wedding!”
    â€œMy what? ”
    â€œYou are to marry the new King of Cardinia.”

Chapter 8
    Tanya took a wide step back, to look at them as a whole. Finely dressed gentlemen, probably educated at West Point or some other officer training school, which would account for the military precision of their movements and bearing. Young bloods, though these were a bit old for that label, all of them more in the area of thirty years. But she knew their type. Rich, privileged, and no doubt bored—which made them great practical jokers.
    She should have known none of this was real. They obviously thought it would be hilariously funny to dupe a poor, ignorant town girl into believing in fairy tales. Cruel was what it was, because most girls wouldn’t see that it was only an elaborate joke, not until they were hurt by it. Now that Tanya did, she could explain it all away so easily.
    Dobbs, of course, had given them the information they needed about her mother, probably for a few coins. Even the birthmark on her backside, if there really was one, could have been glimpsed throughher window, for just last night she’d been in such a hurry to change out of her costume, she hadn’t closed her curtains. But it mortified her to think of one of these men up in that old tree outside her window, watching her in the altogether and noticing something on her body that even she didn’t know was there.
    Hopefully, they hadn’t gone to